He's The One...

that lives with all us girls...

the one I don't write about enough...

the one who doesn't love to be in pictures. :)

He's the one who kills the bugs...

the one who wrestles with the girls...

and the one who sprays them down in the back yard...

He's the quiet one...

the shy one...

but the one who laughs the loudest.

He's the guy who works around the clock to provide for his growing family...

the one who goes to bed early, and rises early.

He's structured, and handy...

he's the one who gutted our entire house, and remodeled it...

he took this...

and turned it into this...

He's the serious one...

the one I take things out on...

the one I've sought counseling with...

and the one who handles the bills.

He is the one who is reserved...

the one thats in this not-so-perfect, work-in-progress marriage with me...

the one who thinks things through...

and the one who tells me not to worry.

He's the one who answer's to daddy from 5 savvies...

He's the one I married...

the one who laughs at how crazy I am for Target...

the one who has to deal with my "fly by the seat of your pants" personality...

and the one who loves me for me.

He's the one.

Just thought I'd share :).

Compliments Will Get You Everywhere With Me

Oh I kid, I kid. Kinda.

Ahem.

Oh Reese, my sweet, savvy, spunky little girl.

It's SUCH a good thing you're this cute.

Reese has started bargaining for things and privileges. Instead of getting upset, she turns to compliments and sweetness. It's nice, but oh so sneaky.

Reese - Mama can we have a snack?

Me - No, Reese. Sorry, but dinner will be ready shortly.

Reese - Maaaamaaaa, pleeaasse - with a cherry, and pudding, and a pie on top??

(A pie? Back in my day, we only used "a cherry on top" for leverage, none of that other stuff was part of the begging equation.)

Me - Reese, no. I mean it, Stop asking.

Reese - Oookk. (She pause for about 30 seconds, and then comes over and hugs my leg) Mama, I'm so hungry, and what you're making smells so yummy. I really like your beautiful hair, and your pants are very pretty.

(my hair was in a knot, and I had penguin pajama pants on. Don't judge.)

I could not keep from laughing. The child was trying to win me over with compliments - for a pack of fruit snacks! I couldn't help it, I ended up giving her some bites of what I was fixing. I know it was giving in a little, but hey, it's not like I gave her the gummi's!

What can I say, she's good at what she does. :)

The Best Enchiladas I've Ever Made

Alright, so maybe they're the only enchiladas I've ever made.

But either way, they are really good.

I got this recipe from Tricia over at Once A Month Mom, and it turned out yum-my! Here is the recipe for The Chile Chicken Enchiladas - it's so easy...

1 can of Enchilada Sauce (19 oz)
2 cups of diced cooked chicken
1 1/2 cups of shredded Monterey Jack cheese (I actually didn't include this in the mix - just on top)
1 cup of sour cream
1 can of chopped green chilies (4.5 0z)
8-10 tortillas (a perfect time to use homemade ones!)
1 cup shredded Cheddar Cheese for the top
Avocado and green onions (optional topping)

So I heated my oven to 350 degrees, mixed up the chicken, sour cream, green chile's, and salsa (add the Monterey cheese in the mix if you'd like)...


Put a scoop on each tortilla, and sprinkled some cheese on top of the mix (again, just how my fam liked it)

I sprayed the bottom of my pan, and put 1/2 cup of Enchilada sauce in the bottom.

Then I wrapped them up, layed them out in the pan, and put the remaining enchilada sauce on top. I had an extra disposable one, I like to use these when I'm freezing meals.

I sprinkled the top with cheese, sprayed a sheet of aluminum foil with Pam, covered the dish, and popped it in the oven for 35min, then 5min without the foil! That's it! Easy, huh? It took me barely 20min to put it all together.

My crew loved it - you should try it!!

You Know You're Addicted To Summer When...

You check the Hour-to-Hour forecast every morning to see when it will be sunny, and when there will be potential rain...

You have wet pool towels hanging on every chair, towel rack, or door knob in the house...

(yea I said door knob - we only have SO many towel racks.)

Every morning you pack a lunch for that day even though you're not totally sure where you're going...

You walk in to Target and the clerk says, "we don't see you much anymore now that its summer!"...

You're friends say, "well I waited to call till late afternoon cause I knew you'd be at the pool"...

And you laugh because, well, you were at the pool...

You get to the pool/fountains and realize that you left ALL the towels on the kitchen counter - but you find one in the car from yesterday and just decide to share that towel for the day instead of driving back home...

You can't get enough pictures of those sweet curls blowing in the wind...

You are kinda refusing to change the calendar to August next week cause you know that means summer is coming to an end...

You make frequent trips to the local snow cone shop - and you consider those seasonal items...

The fact that the babies have almost mastered crawling onto the beach chairs without falling through makes you feel really proud...

You grill out 4 nights a week...

The humidity is so intense it almost makes you feel sick, but its worth it...

You can't help but get your zoom lens out and take a picture from across the pool of your 6 yr old braving the diving boards...

The kids spend 8 hours a day in swimsuits...

And the bottoms of those suits are wearing really thin from scooting around in them - cement is so hard on those things!!

When the babies see any type of picnic table, they ask for a snack and go sit down...

Sigh...

Anyone else love summer as much as we do?

And if you think I love summer, just wait and see how much I adore Fall! :)

Monday, I'm Kinda Glad To See You!

Whew, our days, and especially this weekend, have been buussy!

I think sometimes we shove to much into the weekend...

Anyone else?

It seems like we have just been on the go, all the time :).

And believe me, these little legs...


Are moving pretty quickly these days :)...


We had a good, but full weekend. I took a lot of photos, did some family stuff, hung some pictures, and we signed Ella up for Cheerleading :). And let me tell ya, she is one cute girl in that little uniform.

Oh me, oh my...SO sweet.

The little skirt, the knee highs, the warm up suit...

Mercy. I can't handle the cuteness!

I'll post some pictures of that new little cheerleader soon. :)

I am taking my ladies to the pool today if it's sunny, they need to get some energy out after all these rainy days!

Hope you all had a great weekend!

True or False?

I wear my heart on my sleeve.

True or False?

I hate plain raisins, but LOVE chocolate covered raisins.

True or False?

I think Hummus can replace almost every condiment.

True or False?

I had a car in High School that was nicknamed the "BMW" - even though it was clearly nothing of the sort.

True or False?

My straight hair is actually naturally wavy.

True or False?

I loved the New Kids On The Block, and owned the Comforter, matching curtains, and the complete Doll Set.

True or False.

I had a really unfortunate perm in grade school.

True or False?

I was in a bad accident while doing a summer long mission trip in which my car rolled several times.

True or False?

In college, I scared a potential boyfriend off when I said, "I want like, a lot of kids..."

True or False?

I started college majoring in Organizational Leadership, but finished majoring in being a Stay At Home Mom.

True or False?

Eric was the 1st guy ever, to make me feel secure.

True or False?

I started dating Eric in July of 2003, and was married 6 months later.

True or False?

I was pregnant 6 months after the wedding.

True or False?

I've had 2 miscarriages. 1 before all the girls, and 1 after all the girls. Both at 8 weeks.

True or False?

I cry when I leave the hospital after having a baby/babies, because I love those nurses SO much.

True or False?

I wanted to name one of the girls Hazel.

True or False?

One of my best friends calls me Jan.

True or False?

I would love to foster and/or adopt.

True or False?

I wish Chipotle delivered.

True or False?

I still check each of the girls every night before I go to bed.

True or False?

I'm looking forward to the day when Facebook goes out of style.

True or False?

I heart Taco Bell, even though it's awful for you and the furthest thing from natural. I won't even let my girls have it.

True or False?

I love to drive around and sing along to my favorite music.

True or False?

I don't think the song Ice Ice Baby will ever get old.

True or False?

When I find a shirt I love, I will buy it in every color.

True or False?

I was a nanny for 4 boys, and loved it. I always said I'd have all boys.

True or False?

The 1st thing Eric said in the ultrasound room when they said Kinley and Raya were girls was "5 weddings."

True or False?

I've been known to worry too much.

True or False?

I ask God everyday to teach me how to raise our savvies in this crazy world.

True or False?

I love watching old episodes of the Golden Girls.

True or False?

I know the Target clerks by their first name.

True or False?

True.

All of it. :)

(post idea from Brittney)

I Think The Library Will Have To Get Used To Us...

The girls cute beyond measure (I'm partial, I know). But they can get a little, well, rowdy.

The library was good, but I knew when we walked in, it might not go great.

It's like organized books and a no-talking zone sets something off inside their little bodies - it's like they've been trained to act irrational in those situations. But I assure you, they haven't. Instead of thinking...

"let's quietly pick out A book."

They think...

"lets pull as many from the shelves as possible, because we want ALL of them. And then let's stop and get in a fight at the water fountain on the way out!"

Sigh. I have to admit. I wanted to tell the librarian (who kinda had a staring problem), "I'm just happy I don't have to clean it all up - I have enough of that at home!!"

Or, "what can I say, I feel like this was a successful trip even though we knocked over your Storytime display." I didn't think she would laugh though.

She was SO worried the girls weren't putting all the books on the desk to be checked out - and she kept barking orders at them when clearly they were busy taking stuff off her bulletin board. They're busy girls - and there is a lot of new territory to cover.

You know those times when you just want to tell someone to back off a little?

I had one of those moments.

What does she think we're going to do - shove 100 used books and DVD's in the bottom of my already full stroller and run for the door!? Sheesh. Calm down, woman!

Anyway.

Good thing they're cute...

What a group, huh? :)

---------------------------------------------------

In other quick news, I just did a review over at Savvy Little Women Reviews for one of my new favorite things...

The Boba Carrier. It's, amazing...

So click over, you will want one for sure :)!

They Retain The Info, But Apparently I Don't.

The weather is SO unpredictable here - forecast says rain, but it looks sunny. And I hate when we get to the pool and it starts to storm - that just makes for some unhappy little ladies!

So instead of packing them all up for the pool, we're heading to the library and to run some errands. The library can be interesting with us at times. You know, since they like to keep it quiet there, and my crew is, well...

The opposite of quiet.

But the older girls have been asking for a couple weeks to go, so that is what we're doing! It's just to hot for the park - they had enough slidin' and swingin' yesterday...


So off we go. I already told them if they don't behave I'll take away their after dinner treat - but Reese reminded me that...

"you already took our treat away, remember?? When we were jumping off the coffee table right after we got out of bed!"

Oh yea, I know. I remember. I was just seeing if you remembered.

Alright it slipped my mind.

I'm having trouble recalling my own punishments. Is that normal? Yes? Phew.

Here's hoping we find some good books!

She Thinks Kroger Trumped The Pump.

Oh we had a relaxing weekend. You know, as relaxing as it gets around here :).

I love when Eric can be home. His job can get kind of demanding (as are the needs for our growing family), so he is gone a lot at work. But he was able to be home all weekend, which was so nice!

I had such a great time with my Ella Girl on Saturday morning. My, how she is growing. More on that later. But real quick. We were going through some stuff in the garage (we're still unpacking some things), when Ella spotted my Breast Pump...

Ella - Look, mommy! Remember when you had to use this to get milk for the babies??

Me - Oh yes, Ella - Mommy remembers.

Ella - You used this before you found out they sold the milk at Kroger - that is SO much easier than this thing!

Me - (hahaha) Well, it's not exactly the same, remember?

Ella - (blank stare)

Me - (oh we'll talk about the importance again later...at some point.)

I love the the way they see things - such innocence!

----------------------------------------------------------

I tried to get some new pics of the girls this weekend, but plan on taking them to my new favorite photo spot next week - can't wait!

Char was the only one who would sit still for me anyway this weekend. She is SUCH a sweet (but sassy) little lady.

Here is my 4 going on 14...

Cute, but oh SO dramatic!

So how was your weekend??

I'll Admit It...

I have a problem. I will add one thing right after another to my plate. I will over commit, and try to do 100 things at once.

And I'm going to admit it tonight - I'm tired.

Anyone else?

So this weekend I'm going to relax. I have finished all my picture editing that's been piling up, the laundry is done, and I even have dinner planned for tomorrow night.

I want to sit out back with my family and listen to the sweet sound of the swing set...

swinging from Kate on Vimeo.

Am I the only one who finds that relaxing?

I sure do :).

I'm even going to have a little girls morning out with my sweet Ella - this mom is SO excited for that!

Hope you all have a fabulous weekend!

A Little Decor Goes A Long Way...

I love decorating the house - little by little - as we continue to settle in. I also LOVE finding amazing deals on cool home stuff - and that's exactly what I've been doing lately.

I just bought these pillows, and I just adore them, they are sooo soft...


I just want to curl up and take a nap right there...

Yea, like that's gonna happen.

I've also been framing pictures of the girls and I've been trying to take more pictures of our whole family together - we just don't have as many as I'd like.

I stare at this sweet picture from when the babies were 7 months old. And right after that I almost tear up at the fact that they will be 2 in November!! How does that happen - didn't I just have them!??


And my mom bought us this mirror that I adore - Target never fails in the home decor department, do they?? :)

So that's what I've been doing around here - I should actually be doing laundry...

But it is just NO fun! Someone tell me to get on the (laundry) ball - cause it's a rollin', and I'm just ignoring it.

I'm not sure that made any sense.

Anyway.

Today we are off to some serious Garage Sales with Grandma - the little women are so excited. Maybe it's odd, but they LOVE garage sales. They must get that from their mama :).

Here's hoping that we find some good deals!

We Like Things Wrapped

I do want to cook from scratch, really, I do.

But just for the record - I also cook, you know, ordinary meals. I'm not on an "organic, natural, homemade only" high horse all the time. Cause that's not us.

I want my girlie's to eat all natural and organic food - but I also want to pay our house payment.

You know what I'm sayin'?? :) I shop at Trader Joe's a lot because their prices are reeaally reasonable, and their food is just plain yummy.

But sometimes all organic isn't an option. So I do my best. I buy the best food, with the best ingredients, for my best little ladies. I stay clear of High Fructose Corn Syrup as much as possible, and I rarely buy pre-packaged food or meals. It's a challenge to feed your family home cooked meals every night, but I think I'm up for it...

that might mean I'm cooking, freezing, and defrosting them, but that's ok.

And maybe cooking with 5 kids might be crazy. But I kinda like the crazy.

So tonight I made, and froze, some pizza wraps.

I put some (homemade) Tomato sauce on the tortillas...

Sprinkled some cheese...

And added Trader Joe's Pepperoni and/or Chicken...


Then I wrapped them up...


Oh wait, here's a shot of the chicken...

I placed them on a baking sheet and cooked them at 375 degrees for about 10-15min...

And got this...

My Savvies were very pleased. And they can be hard to please at the table - I'm really working on that with them. You eat what I make, or you don't eat!

So, that's what we had for dinner. And it proves that since we are a "wrap" kind of family, I need to get to making some homemade wraps of my own :). I've already found my recipe and will share it soon!

Happy Wednesday! Hope you all are having a great week!

We Like To Party - Ultimate Mom's 2010

I'm SO excited.

I love my girls, my life, my everyday tasks. Although I could do without scrubbing the toilets but let's not go there. I really do love my job. But you know what else I reeaally love??

A Mom's Night Out.

And I'm not talking about an evening trip to the grocery store with these ladies...

Even though they are fantastic company. Yum, love those girls.

I'm talking a relaxing night of pampering, conversation, and good food with some amazing women. Women who understand your life, your madness, and the reason you love this big blog world. Sounds fabulous, right??

So I have partnered with 2 of my favorite ladies, Tricia from Once A Month Mom, and Jenny from Mommin' It Up, and we are throwing a party. For mom's. Because we need it.

On July 29th at Forge Headquarters, we will launch the 1st Ultimate Mom's Night Out. It gives me goosebumps to say it. This is something I have wanted to do for SO long!

So if you're local (oh how I wish you were ALL local), you want to go here and grab a ticket! We are going to live it up, ladies. Chickfila will be feeding us, Old Navy will be giving gifts, and all kinds of swag will be stuffed inside bags from Carabella's Boutique. And there is SO much more.

I know. Go get your ticket! There are only 50 available, and even though I love ya'll like sisters, I can't guarantee anything. I took an oath.

Not really but I've always wanted to say that.

I have such a passion for mom's, and I am so looking forward to a night of relaxation (and I really mean that because there will be massages for everyone...I know) laughter, and catching up with some of my favorite ladies.

So here we go. Let's start the movement.

Ultimate Mom's, Together for the Ultimate Night Out!

Do You Make The Staples?

You know, the staple foods in your house - Do you make a lot from scratch?

Bread, tortillas, noodles, sauces, hummus, salsa, etc, etc?

I had plans to do some cooking and experimenting this weekend, but the savvies had other things on their list. Like playing out back...

Swinging on the swing set...

and seeing how many things they could put under their twin beds, or as they called them, their "new homes."

You'd be shocked at how many toys can fit under a single twin bed. Or maybe you already know.

But anyway, I was just wondering how many of you out there do a lot of baking from scratch, and if so, what staples do you make on a regular basis? Do you have favorite recipes? Does it save you money?

I'd love to hear!

Redoing Our Menu

Oh I am feeling better - this mama hates being sick!

I took the girls out for some errands today, which included a stock up session at Sam's, where a woman asked me "Why would you want more than 3 kids? What made you try again after you had the 1st set of twins?? Life is crazy enough, isn't it? And how old are you, anyway"

I told her I was 26.

Oh c'mon, she deserved a little white lie.

Ahem. I kid, I kid.

Anyway, I was stocking up on some staples - Sam's is where I buy our veggies and fruits in bulk, I freeze a lot of it. The girls go through a lot of fruit - those little bellies hold more blueberries than you could ever imagine...

And have I mentioned I'm on a cooking mission? I am. I'm determined to still cook natural/organic and healthy meals for less. I think it may involve a good amount of cooking in bulk and freezing, but that will be SO convenient in the long run.

I've got to figure it out - and I will. I'm determined, remember?

I will be sharing recipes along the way, so get ready :)!

I'm off to bed, the savvies will up and ready to go early in the AM!

Crazy Sick

Our week has been a little crazy - just plain busy!

And I've been, well, sick. With some flu-ish, cold sweats, nauseous, don't you dare cook something around me, no I will not butter your bagel, want to sleep till 2011 type thing.

That annoying bug is on it's way out, hopefully.

I think I was handed a little blogging break without asking for it this week - you ever have a week like that?? :)

The girls have been keeping themselves busy though while mom layed low. Not to mention they are FABULOUS entertainment...

ringaround from Kate on Vimeo.

And that isn't the only thing that's been keeping them busy...

They've also been putting Cheese-it's down the air vents...

and coloring on my freshly painted walls.

Ahem.

So anyway, we will be back to (our kind of) normal soon :)!

I am in desperate need to catch up on blogs - I need my fix :)!

Hope you are having a great week!

They've Got It Rough...

Can you tell? :)

The 4th Has Been SO Good...

Grilling out...

Hanging out with family...

Fireworks...


Baking...

Eating...

And relaxing. That's what we've been up to! Today is our town parade/festival, and the little ladies are SO excited :).

Hope you're having a wonderful weekend!!

Happy 4th!

Oh I love the 4th of July. Especially when it comes with a loonng weekend, when hubby can be home a bit more, and we can cook out together. Have I ever mentioned I LOVE cooking out?

(well, when he cooks out, I technically haven't mastered the grill yet.)

(it's on my to - do list.)

Anyway, the point is, I love it!

The girls are SO excited for the parade, it's by far their favorite part of the weekend. You might remember how excited they were last year...

What a sweet little thing.

We are going to work around the house, visit family, and make some festive treats. I will post pics of what we make a little later.

Anyone have big plans for the weekend? You taking the kiddos to fireworks??

Hope you have a great 4th of July!

Bedtime...

I have total control over bedtime...

my ladies are completely worn out by the end of the day...

bedtime from Kate on Vimeo.

well maybe they still have some (cute) energy left...

:)